The zen of copycat materialism

In Buddhism, a "ksana" is the smallest unit of time--approximately one seventy-fifth of a second. Within one ksana, there are nine hundred instances of arising and ceasing. There are 32,820,000 ksanas in one day.

With so many opportunities for something to happen, it was only a matter of time before Buddhists adopted acronym-emblazoned wristbands.

The Christian "What Would Jesus Do?" bands started appearing in 1989, and have passed their peak of popularity.But Buddhist Priest Rev. Sukha Haju Sunim of Ann Arbor, Mich., says the fad is a good idea. "In Buddhism there's a real emphasis on being mindful about what we're doing in each moment of our lives."

Bruce Willett, marketing manager for Ulysses Press, says the $15 books and wristbands will appeal to people from many religious backgrounds.The book offers Buddha's response to typical life situations. For example, if your boss complains that you are late for work, you can find this saying of the Buddha: "Time is now; now is both what and when. In this sense, we are always on time."